E30 front and rear screen refitting.......

Post Thu Jul 20, 2006 10:45 pm

What tool do I need to put the plastic strip back into the rubber seal on the front and rear screens on an E30?

Cheers boys

Post Fri Jul 21, 2006 9:09 am

Lubricant and a small screwdriver, but there is a real risk of slipping and gouging the paintwork.
You can buy a small tool with a roller and a diamond shaped loop of wire for about Ã‚£10 - Ã‚£15 or so.

Post Fri Jul 21, 2006 9:16 am

Soap works nicely as lube for this job, you need to the job with a mate as well.

Post Fri Jul 21, 2006 9:19 am

Theo325 wrote:Soap works nicely as lube for this job, you need to the job with a mate as well.

Soap, NOT washintg up liquid! (salt)

Post Fri Jul 21, 2006 9:20 am

Post Fri Jul 21, 2006 9:28 am

as a x windscreen fitter i have the etching tool for the job which is a small plastic tool u do also need the tool with the wheel to do a gd job!! i only ever changed 4 e30 glasses but let me tell u e30s are the easiest to do on this type of seal!!

shame everyones miles away from me or id help out.

Post Fri Jul 21, 2006 9:33 am

H35-IAN wrote:as a x windscreen fitter i have the etching tool for the job which is a small plastic tool u do also need the tool with the wheel to do a gd job!! i only ever changed 4 e30 glasses but let me tell u e30s are the easiest to do on this type of seal!!

shame everyones miles away from me or id help out.

I'll bare that in mind when im stuck, your not too far from me

Post Fri Jul 21, 2006 10:40 am

Cheers people, I'll get my mate who is spraying to borrow the tool from his employers spray workshop

Post Fri Jul 21, 2006 10:55 am

go for it paul seriously easy with that tool buddy!!

its quite funny when u see someone locked out of a e30 when there poxy cliffords locked there keys in the car on auto lock.

i had a m8 who did just this outside my m8s house and had to be somewhere within like 30 mins i was 100 miles away from my tools lol i turneed round to him wound him up a bit then said give me a knife and a screwdriver ,i got it out he got in then we put it back in lol with v minor damage considering we had no tools between us lol

just make sure when u put that rear window in u do a very good job and if possible even though it will go in properly put some kind of seal behind the rubber especially if u use a new rubber.
if i ever fitted a screen or rear id always use a new rubber , new trim and clips everytime.
in the early days when the e30 first come about there was some kind of problem with the rear windscreen actually blowing out under compression build up in the car. immagine that happening at 130 mph!

not scaring no one but if u talk to a windscreen fitter or somewhere like autoglass they will sort u out wat u need m8 dont talk to the company just chat to a fitter back handers! they love it trust...

good luck m8 ian.

ps the seal is a cross between wet putty and silicone forget the name now

Post Fri Jul 21, 2006 11:02 am

I did exactly the same thing when my bro snapped his key Ian! :lol:

I'd buy the tool though - it's a PITA to do with a screwdriver... (I've done it 3 times so far like that though!)

Post Fri Jul 21, 2006 11:22 am

i fitted my windscreen few months ago - my mate got 1 of them diamond shape tools from his work but managed to break it before we even got the chance to use it. So we found a ring spanner that fitted the beading nicely and cained inside the rubber with oil, went in nicely but bloody thing didn't last to long!!!!

Post Fri Jul 21, 2006 1:05 pm

Ziggy wrote:I did exactly the same thing when my bro snapped his key Ian!

I'd buy the tool though - it's a PITA to do with a screwdriver... (I've done it 3 times so far like that though!)

bloooody ell m8!! yeh that is a hard n rough way of doin it but if needs must and it gets u on ur way then i suppose at times it has to be done..

the windscreen trade is funny actually especially when u got some trainee whos just cut up a dash on a brand new 7 series or something , and the md wants his bmw to go back to bmw to be fitted with a brand new dash !!

ive seen lots of things like this happen ud be surprized...thank fully the old faithful e30s easy job really some are hurrendous although my favorite to do is escort mk4!
feet on the screen push it out piece of shoe lace or rope filp the rubber over the metal job done 10 mins max including cleaning and tidying up..

Post Fri Jul 21, 2006 1:17 pm

H35-IAN wrote:my favorite to do is escort mk4!

List of reasons to own a mk4 escort:

1: Easy to change the windscreen.

Erm... that'll be it then.

Post Fri Jul 21, 2006 5:40 pm

to use as a portable skip!